The Mizzouri Kid Birth of a Gunfighter

By Terry Compton

Book 1 in the Mizzouri Kid series.

John was a Missouri boy who just wanted to be a cowboy and join a cattle drive from Texas. He stopped in Ottumwa, Kansas to visit his grandparents as he headed to Abilene to join some cowboys headed back to Texas. That's where life threw him a curve. He met Shorty, who taught him to quick draw a gun. He had a natural talent for it that he soon developed. Bullies and bad men learned that even at fifteen years old he didn't back down and they could expect a lot of misery from the Mizzouri Kid. He and Shorty made a two man army that destroyed two gangs and rescued the beautiful Dorothy. Now would the fiery redhead cause friction between the two partners and destroy their friendship or would she build John's new reputation?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Terry Compton
• Release date: Jan 11, 2012
• ISBN: 9781465913746

Terry Compton

Terry Compton has raced stock cars, rode horses across the Scapegoat Wilderness, fished and hunted most of his adult life while working at several different jobs. He is an Air Force veteran and served in the Air National Guard for several years. He is currently retired from being the owner, chief welder and installer for an ornamental iron business where he has made several award winning metal creations and is now turning this creativity to writing.Terry loves to read science fiction, westerns and mystery stories. Some of his favorite authors are Clive Cussler, Robert Ludlum, Tom Clancy, Andre Norton, Poul Anderson, Robert Heinlein, Louie L'Amour, Zane Grey and Anne McCaffery. He is currently learning about 'indie' authors who are publishing e-books.Terry currently lives in Montana with his wife and a dog who thinks she is a short furry people.

Book preview

The Mizzouri Kid

Birth of a Gunfighter

Terry Compton

Published by Terry Compton at Smashwords

Copyright 2011 Terry Compton

Cover image courtesy of Jim Parkin & Dreamstime.com

Cover by Joleene Naylor

John was a Missouri boy who just wanted to be a cowboy and join a cattle drive from Texas. He stopped in Ottumwa, Kansas to visit his grandparents as he headed to Abilene to join some cowboys headed back to Texas. That's where life threw him a curve. He met Shorty, who taught him to quick draw a gun. He had a natural talent for it that he soon developed. Bullies and bad men learned that even at fifteen years old he didn't back down and they could expect a lot of misery from the Mizzouri Kid. He and Shorty made a two man army that destroyed two gangs and rescued the beautiful Dorothy. Now would the fiery redhead cause friction between the two partners and destroy their friendship or would she build John's new reputation?

Smashwords Edition

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This is a work of fiction. All characters or incidents are a figment of the author's imagination and any resemblance to any incident or any person living or dead is purely coincidental.

Chapter 1

The sun was just peeking over the trees lighting up the long muddy lane. It had been a long wet spring this year of 1885. John Spencer stopped his horse and turned in the saddle to look back down the lane. The log cabin at the end of the lane brought back a flood of memories. His entire childhood had been spent here and he might have stayed to try to buy the farm next door if his Dad hadn't died four years ago. Farm work was never easy but his Dad had shouldered the bulk of the work. He and older brother Ben had helped out where they could and the farm gave them a good living. Then the sickness had come to the county and Dad had died. The work immediately became much harder for a seventeen year old boy and his eleven year old brother. John hadn't complained, he just did what had to be done. The long hard hours paid off and the farm continued to make them a living. Things hadn't been too bad until last year when Ben started sparkin' the Douglas girl down the road. The arguments had interrupted the peaceful times and stirred something within John. He wanted more than a life on a little farm in central Missouri.

Here they lived thirty miles from Sedalia and all his life he had heard stories of the herds of Texas longhorns that had passed only a few miles from their farm. Old Jess Gauge had seen them with his own eyes. Jess had told stories of the wild Texas cowboys and how they could ride. John suspected that some of his stories about their shooting prowess were just that -- stories -- but he loved every one of them. Jess had even let him work to earn the McClellan saddle he was riding on. Jess had got it in the Civil War. He took it off a dead Yankee horse or so he said. The Henry repeating rifle he carried had come about because of Jess, also. Jess had talked his neighbor into hiring John to help with harvest last fall and had paid with the rifle. John had helped Ben until they were done with harvest and then Mr. Turner really needed some help, so Jess got him hired.

That's when the trouble really started. Ben hadn't wanted him to work for someone else but John wanted that saddle and the rifle. He was fourteen and strong enough to do a day's work. He stubbornly insisted on hiring out. Ben seemed to think that sparkin' that girl made him a man. Somehow, John was just a little boy and couldn't even wipe his own nose or tie his own shoes. Well, he was fifteen now and could make his own decisions. He was six-feet one-inch tall with broad shoulders and strong muscles from years of farm work. He'd had enough fights with the local boys to learn how to handle himself in a rough and tumble, so he was now headed to Coffey County, Kansas. Grampa and Gramma Spencer lived there. He was going to see them and then head on the short distance to Abilene. That was where the herds were coming now. Maybe he could ride back with some of the cowboys and join them on a trail drive back north. It sounded a lot more exciting than farming here in Missouri.

Ben had married Indiana Douglas in December and Anna, his big sister, was getting married in May. Ben had made a room just for Ma and planned on caring for her. So the farm now belonged to his brother Ben and his new wife. John was headed west to find his fortune.

John turned the horse onto the road and headed west. He had a bedroll on the back of the saddle and corn meal, beans, a side of salt pork, a little salt, some coffee, a skillet, a coffee pot, an extra shirt and extra shells for his rifle in the saddle bags. He also had ten silver dollars in his pocket. What more did a man need to start an adventure?

Some of the creeks and rivers were up from all the rain they'd had this spring so it took John four days to get to Ottumwa. His parents had brought him here once when he was a lot smaller but he didn't remember where Grampa and Gramma lived. The few letters they received were really the only contact they had. The street he rode down was drying out and in a few days would be blowing dust. He spotted the General Store and Post Office. He headed there to see if they could point him in the right direction.

John rode up to the hitching rack and stopped his horse. He swung down and was aware of the eyes of the loafers sitting on the front porch of the store. They were noting that his horse was still muddy from the last river crossing. John debated about taking his rifle in the store with him but decided to leave it in the scabbard. Surely these loafers wouldn't bother it right here in broad daylight.

John strode to the door and entered the store. He always liked the smell of a store. He could smell the fresh ground coffee, the clean smell of new leather and the hundred other smells that made up a General Store. He moved to the side and looked around. He saw the piles of dress goods behind the counter and the barrels of flour, molasses and pickles. The shelves held all sorts of treasures for customers to buy. John spotted the candy jars on the counter and started to walk toward them. He stopped and told himself, "Real men don't buy candy. Besides, I've only got $10 and I might need it before I get to Texas. An older lady behind the counter had been watching him and now she came out from behind the counter. She came over to him and said, Good afternoon, young man. May I help you?"

John didn't know if the young man was for a man or a boy but he said, Yes, ma'am. I'm John Spencer and I'm looking for my Grampa James Spencer. Do you know him and where his farm is?

John Spencer. I think I've heard Jim talk about having a grandson who lives in Missouri. Would that be you?

Yes, ma'am. My Dad, Ben was his son.

How's your Dad doing?

He died from the sickness that came through four years ago.

I'm sorry to hear that. How's your mother?

Ma's doing fine. She lives with my brother Ben on our old place. Ben's making it into a right nice farm.

I'm glad to hear it. Now, your Grampa's place is southwest of town. Follow the road…

The lady gave him directions to the farm and John thought it would be easy to find. He thanked her and walked back to his horse. The loafers looked like they hadn't moved but he still glanced at his rifle to make sure it was still there. It was so he climbed aboard the horse and turned south on the road. In less then thirty minutes, his horse was standing in front of the house the lady at the General store had described. He hesitated before he got down because now that he was here, what was he going to do or even say?

He finally stepped down and tied the horse to the fence. He opened the gate and walked up on the front porch. Before he could knock, a short gray-haired woman came to the door, wiping her hands on an apron that she wore. She had a pleasant face with a big smile on it. She stepped through the door and said, Howdy, youngster. What can I do for you?

Howdy, ma'am. I'm looking for my Grampa, James Spencer. Is this his place?

The woman's eyes grew wide with surprise and her hands flew to her mouth. She rushed up to John and excitedly said, Are you Ben or John?

I'm John, ma'am.

She let out a squeal and grabbed John in a bear hug. She was crying softly and all John could do was pat her on the back. She finally released him and stepped back wiping her eyes on her apron. She said, Let me look at you. The last time I saw you, you were knee-high to a grasshopper. My, how you've grown.

All John could say was, Yes, ma'am, Gramma.

The woman suddenly realized where they were at and said, Lands sake. Look at me carrying on so. Come on in to the kitchen. I'm fixing supper and it'll be ready in a bit. Your Grampa is over in the west fields plowing. This wet weather this spring put him behind in everything that needs to be done around this place. What brings you out this way? How are your Ma and…

She asked questions at a mile a minute and hardly gave John a chance to answer. John's stomach was starting to grumble because he hadn't stopped to eat at noon. The smells from the kitchen were making it even worse. His Gramma noticed and gave him a big slice of homemade bread with homemade butter on it. The bread was still warm and tasted like a slice of heaven to John.

They kept up a conversation for another hour before his Grampa came through the door. Gramma told Grampa who he was and what he was doing there. Before the conversation got very far, Gramma said, James, go wash up. Supper is ready and poor John here is about to starve to death.

Grampa went out on the back porch and filled a wash basin from a bucket of water sitting there. He proceeded to wash some of the Kansas dirt off his face, hands and neck. He came back into the house and sat down at the kitchen table. John joined him as Gramma started putting the rest of the supper dishes on the table. She sat down and Grampa said grace. John had to repeat a lot of what he had already told Gramma as they ate.

Grampa said, You say Ben is married and making a go of the farm, so what are you going to do now?

I'm headed to Abilene to find someone that's just brought a herd from Texas and maybe ride back with them.

What do you mean, ride with that trash? Don't you know that those herds of longhorns spread tick fever? I remember how we had all those problems right after the war. Right over in the country you just came from, the farmers had to get together to run them off or all of their cattle would have died.

Now, James, we haven't had trouble since they moved the railroad out west. Besides, people back east need beef to eat, Gramma said trying to smooth things over.

They continued to talk about what John should and shouldn't do. John felt like déjà vu. He'd had this same conversation over and over again with his Mom, brother and sister. They hadn't changed his mind and neither would Grampa. Grampa saw that his words were having no effect so he tried a different tactic.

John, do you know how to drive a six or eight horse team?

Sure, I drove two and four horse or mule teams all the time around the farm. I helped Amos Gifford a couple of times during harvest and had to drive six mules. Why?

I have a friend down at Yates Center that runs a freighting business. He's always looking for drivers. He hauls down to Fort Worth, Texas, so he might be able to use you and you'd get paid to go down there to look over the country.

I don't know. I was planning on seeing Abilene…

How much money have you got?

I've still got $10 and most of my supplies, so that should get me to Abilene.

That'll get you to Abilene but you'll need more to get to Texas. This here is guaranteed money and you won't have to buy any food.

They argued about it for another twenty minutes until John gave in. He agreed to wait for three more days while Grampa finished plowing. Grampa would ride with him to Yates Center to introduce him to his friend and get him hired as a driver.

The next two days went by quick enough and John enjoyed the visit with his grandparents. He helped around the place by chopping some wood for Gramma and fixing a couple of fences for Grampa. Grampa didn't say any more about him becoming a cowboy but told him stories of his move to Kansas. The trouble started on the third day. About mid-morning, Gramma called him into the house.

John, could you saddle up and ride to the General Store for me? If Grampa goes with you, he'll be gone for at least two days and I need some things to tide me over until he gets back. Besides, it would be nice to see if we have any mail.

John was glad to do it for her and went to the barn to saddle up. As he got ready to set into the saddle, he saw the empty scabbard. Should he get his rifle? He decided he didn't need it for a simple trip to the store. He swung by the house and Gramma gave him a list and a note for George Mason, the store keeper. The note told George to put the items on their ticket and they would settle up later in the month. It also told him to give John the mail.

John felt good as he headed to town. A lot of the flowering trees were in bloom and wildflowers were opening their buds as well. The sun felt warm on his skin and he enjoyed his ride to town. He could smell spring in the air and it almost seemed he could hear the grass growing.

John entered town and rode up to the General Store. There seemed to be a new crop of loafers in front of the store. They eyed him with curiosity and watched his every move as he went into the store. The same woman who had given him directions came up to greet him.

It's John, isn't it? What can we do for you today?

My Gramma asked me to come in for the mail and to pick up a few things. Is George Mason here? She gave me a note for him.

I'm Virginia Mason, his wife. You can give the note to me. George is out back unloading some freight.

John gave her the note and wandered around the store. He saw some things he really would like to have but he didn't know if he would get the job. He was going to keep the money he had until he knew he would be earning a paycheck. Mrs. Mason soon had the items ready and put them in a bag for him. He put the mail in the top of the sack and told her thank you. He said good-bye as he walked out the door.

A big man was messing with his horse's head. The horse was jerking, rolling his eyes and trying to get away. The big stranger had a bushy black beard and scruffy long hair that made his six feet three inches and 250 pounds seem even more sinister. His powerful arms were having no trouble holding the terrified horse. His hat was tattered and dirty which fit right in with his stained and dirty overalls. He wore a belt with a large knife hanging from the right side. He was accompanied by two other smaller men that were as dirty as he was and dressed much